Ian Hamilton

Ian Hamilton is the Vice Dean of Research at The Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment and holds the title of Professor of Energy, Environment, and Health at the UCL Energy Institute. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor in Physical & Environmental Science at the University of Toronto, a Visiting Research Fellow at Columbia University’s Global Energy Policy Center, and a Senior Advisor at Sustainable Energy for All in Vienna. His work bridges engineering, public health, and urban planning with a focus on systemic inequities and sustainable transitions in the built environment.

Hamilton obtained his Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Waterloo in 2005, followed by a Master of Science (2007) and Doctor of Philosophy (2015) from University College London. His professional background includes roles as a project engineer in the UK and Canada, developing sustainability strategies for large-scale urban projects like the London 2012 Olympic Parkland and cross-border urban developments.

His research interests center on the intersection of climate change mitigation, energy efficiency, and public health. He investigates how decarbonisation policies and technologies affect building energy performance, indoor/outdoor environmental conditions, and health outcomes—particularly for marginalized populations. Key areas include thermal comfort in dwellings, air pollution reduction through building retrofits, and equity-driven sustainable urban development. His work emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration and systems thinking to address complex energy-environment-health challenges.

Hamilton’s research has been funded by UK Research Councils, the Wellcome Trust, the British Council, the UK Government, Mexico’s National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT), and Horizon Europe. His grants support projects analyzing energy poverty, fuel-efficient building renovations, and the Lancet Countdown’s health-focused climate change reports.

He leads the UCL Energy and Health Group and collaborates with global initiatives like the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, the EU Horizons CATALYSE project, and the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction. These partnerships aim to translate research into actionable policies for equitable, climate-resilient cities and buildings.